This month the girls read a really wonderful book: Callie’s Contest of Courage by Jan May. I appreciate this book for many reasons, not the least of these is the way that it encourages girls to be strong and faithful.
But it does something else, too: it provides many ways for kids to be like Callie in real life, and we had fun trying them out at our October Book Club party.
First, a photographer friend came over, and she shared some simple tips and tricks to taking great photographs. The girls asked good questions, and afterwards we headed out in search of interesting subjects.
These magnolia seeds fascinated several of the girls.
They got really into their photography and tried out lots of different perspectives for each shot.
After that we went inside to talk about editing photographs. I’m no expert, but I’ve played around with PicMonkey a bit, and so each girl chose one photo to edit with that program. This one was a magnolia seed pod …
while these were the seeds that they were studying so intently.
Another girl was fascinated with the American flag that we found up the street. Personally, I enjoyed seeing how creative they could be – both with their initial photographs and with their editing!
We decided, though, that no book club about Callie would be complete without a pie eating contest – and the girls really got into that! We made basic plastic bibs to keep the pie off their clothes, and I asked the girls to come with their hair pulled back. Then, after making simple banana cream pies, they stuck their faces in and got to town! Giggling was rampant during this part of book club, and they grinned from ear to ear – with whipped cream decorating everything in between – while they licked their pie tins clean.
We all loved Callie – even My Little Man, who’s determined that his book club needs to read Callie, too. With such a strong and interesting character and lots of adventures, Callie’s Contest of Courage is a great choice for your next book club.
The girls were so fascinated with photography that we’ve kicked off our Nature Photography Contest for Kids – which is now live! Click here to learn more and enter your child’s photos. You could even win your own copy of Callie!
For some information about how to take good photographs, read Photography Tips for Kids: Perspective here.
What makes you pull out your camera?
In one life-changing moment, the lives of the Jewish exiles in Babylon are thrown into confusion and despair when a decree arrives from the king’s palace in Susa. It calls for the annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout the empire on the thirteenth day of Adar, in less than one year. Ezra, a quiet Jewish scholar and teacher, is suddenly called upon to lead the community as they seek God for a reason for this catastrophe. When a second decree arrives, authorizing them to fight back, Ezra is thrust into the role of military leader as they defend themselves against their enemies.
About the Author: 
Yearning for a fresh start, Ewan McKay travels with his aunt and uncle from northern Scotland to West Virginia, promising to trade his skills in the clay business for financial assistance from his uncle Hugh. Hugh purchases a brickmaking operation from a Civil War widow and her daughter, but it’s Ewan who gets the business up and running again. Ewan seeks help from Laura, the former owner’s daughter, and he feels a connection with her, but she’s being courted by another man—a lawyer with far more social clout and money than Ewan. Besides, Ewan has resolved he’ll focus on making the brickmaking operation enough of a success that he can become a partner in the business and be able to afford to bring his sisters over from Scotland.
